Jervis Bay Hearing Centre
Call us today!
Vincentia | 02 4441 8886
​Ulladulla | 02 4455 6000
  • Who are we
  • Hearing
    • Free Hearing Checks
    • Test Your Hearing HERE NOW >
      • Adult
      • Child
    • Maintaining your device; Help Videos
    • Tinnitus
    • Communications Training
  • Hearing Aids
    • Overview
    • Choosing Your Device
    • Assistive Listening Devices
    • Hearing Care Products
    • Hearing Funds
    • Workers Compensation
  • Cochlear Implants
  • Hearing News
    • FAQS
    • Hearing Research
    • Events Photo Gallery
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
    • Careers
    • Senior Audiologist
  • Front desk

Hearing loss closely linked to dementia and the potential devastating loss of Australian indigenous culture

12/10/2021

0 Comments

 

World leading research into the link between hearing loss and dementia, undertaken by Dr Dona Jayakody, Senior Research Audiologist and her team at Ear Science Institute Australia, in collaboration with Prof Leon Flicker at WA Centre for Healthy Aging – UWA, Prof Dawn Bessarab and Dr Kate Smith at the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health – UWA and Hearing Australia has led to a Fellowship Award and the further study of the impact this is having on the preservation of Indigenous culture and stories.

Listen to interview with The West Live and Professor Marcus Atlas

Picture
Research shows Aboriginal older adults are three to five times more likely to develop dementia than the general Australian population.

Hearing loss is one of the preventative risk factors for dementia. Ear Science Institute Australia aim is to change the way hearing services are provided to Aboriginal Australians, making hearing health a priority, developing culturally appropriate treatments to support families and importantly to help maintain their cultural heritage and stories.

Dr Jayakody said, the telling and sharing of stories is universal to the human experience, it is a long-established practise in how we impart information about our culture, values, people, animals, jobs, food and the environment within our own community and to others.

“These stories are traditionally passed down from generation to generation through the act of storytelling. If hearing loss continues to go untreated within our Indigenous population, it will impact on memory and the ability to share stories about culture and values with younger generations.

“In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, stories of the past, present and the future are told and passed on to the next generation. The oral traditions of instruction include storytelling, song and dance. Hearing these stories from elders is equally as important as the telling of them,” Dr Jayakody said.

Professor Marcus Atlas, Founding Director, Ear Science Institute Australia said, our leading research into hearing loss goes far beyond hearing aids and implants.

“Our evidence based, peer reviewed research shows dementia, mental health, social isolation and frailty are closely linked to hearing loss. We need to tackle this issue at mid-life and with a different more informed strategy than we have seen in the past. Our research is far reaching from changing the way we age to impacting our national economy.“ Professor Atlas said.

Dr Jayakody was recently awarded the highly contested, inaugural Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation Career Advancement Fellowship in recognition of her ground-breaking research which has shown that the severity of hearing loss is associated with severe cognitive decline. And that low to mid frequency hearing loss is associated with cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety and stress. Dr Jayakody’s research also identified central auditory processing assessments help to identify those at risk of dementia.

Dr Jayakody now aims to determine if hearing loss intervention can prevent, or delay, the onset of dementia and improve the psychological well-being of Aboriginal older adults. The team at Ear Science Institute Australia will continue to explore the issues underlying the association of dementia, and mental health issues with hearing loss and the challenges of ageing in mid-life before they develop into chronic health issues. These findings will provide life-changing solutions our community, government policy and patient-centred service delivery.

(Source: earscience.org.au)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    October 2021
    April 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All
    Hearing Blog
    Jervis Bay Hearing Centre
    Mollymook Ladies Golf
    Whats Up

    RSS Feed

Contact Us

Medical Referrals

Code of Conduct
Call us today!
Vincentia | 02 4441 8886
​Ulladulla | 02 4455 6000

Picture
Picture